Hawks 112, Knicks 101: Knicks Return to the Garden and Reality

The Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (7) driving to the basket during the loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Anthony finished with 25 points.Credit
Justin Lane/European Pressphoto Agency

The introduction of the Knicks’ starting lineup Thursday night was preceded by a fancy laser show and very loud music. The crowd at Madison Square Garden screamed for Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. The Knicks were in first place. They were undefeated.

The feeling was delightfully foreign. It did not last.

In their home opener, the Knicks revealed that some bad habits — poor shooting, lackluster defense — are hard to break as they fell to the Atlanta Hawks, 112-101.

“We saw the difference between the level where they are right now, and where we are right now,” Coach Derek Fisher said. “We’ll have to learn from it as we go forward.”

The Knicks (1-1) were largely undone by their inability to defend along the 3-point line and at the…